Chapter 6: The Change: The Death of a FatherChapter Text
Saturday was all about rest, Joseph worked out and began to catch up on the series he'd started but not finished. Marie ordered groceries and did the housework, Phil worked quietly in his office on his drawing table and Clara listened to music loudly in her room. The day ran its course when the family gathered to watch the 1 p.m. news. The presenter, younger than his twenty o'clock counterpart, began with an apology for the shocking news the President was about to announce:
"My dear compatriots, it is with gravity that I am about to tell you that the virus is no longer the most serious danger, as I was told less than two hours ago that the Zaporijjia Nuclear Power Plant had just exploded."
"As a result of Russian attacks during the war between Russia and Ukraine, the plant's core was hit by missile fire and overheating in the system caused the core to explode."
Faced with this announcement, the Fucker family can only be shocked by the gravity of the situation. The father wishes to continue listening to the safety instructions so as not to make a mistake in the rush. Another announcer takes the floor to pass on the instructions:
"We ask you to pack your bags, taking only the bare essentials to live in the nearest shelters, which you will reach as soon as possible. The radioactive wave should pass through France in a day or two at the most."
Joseph soon received a call from his contact at the Department for Demographic Rearmament, also known as the DRD. His contact, Dr. Loring, told him that he and his family had been given priority on the list of people to be secured in a nuclear shelter.
The young man asked her what was going to happen to the people he'd had sex with, and she replied that they would also be transferred to the same shelter. Once the call was over, he announced the good news to his family, who immediately began to pack their bags and called the rest of the family so that they too could have the information.
When everything was ready, Joseph left with his family when he saw the dark clouds coming towards them. Joseph's driver came to pick them up and take them to their destination. Fifteen minutes later, the Fucker family was safe, along with the rest of the family and the women Joseph had kept in his care.
The pressure was beginning to ease when Phil, the family patriarch, began coughing harder and harder. The mother asked for a doctor to examine her husband. Dr. Loring quickly examined Phil, who showed her strange burns. She stepped back as a protective reflex. She asked that the family be quarantined until the test results were in.
Everyone in the bunker was anxious, Joseph and his family fearing for the life of Phil, who had always guided them through worrying situations. The doctors accompanying Doctor Loring announced that the results were not good at all:
"Your father is contaminated by radioactivity from the surrounding area, and unfortunately there's nothing more we can perform for him. He asked to see you, Mr. Joseph."
"I'll follow you." replied Joseph, looking serious.
Joseph followed the doctor to a room isolated by a sophisticated ventilation system. His father was lying on a bed with an oxygen mask over his mouth. When he saw his son, he removed his mask and said:
"Son, as you can see, I'm not in good enough shape. The family still has a long way to go, and I won't be able to guide you. This will be your role from now on; take good care of the family as I taught you..."
Phil was barely able to finish his sentence when he died of his illness. Joseph, devastated by the loss of his guide and father, began to cry his eyes out. After five minutes, he had to break the terrible news to the family. His mother Marie, sister Clara, cousins Lou and Lucie were crying their eyes out. The body of their father, husband and uncle was burned that evening to prevent contamination of the camp.
It was a long and painful night for the whole family and some members of the community, such as Dr. Loring, who has known Joseph for several months now. It's barely been a day since the camp was set up, and no outside information on the chain of command has been forthcoming.
It was Marie, the mother of the Fucker family, who finally brought the camp together to express the concerns and doubts the others may have in common. She climbed up onto a makeshift platform and spoke in a loud, booming voice:
"Members of the camp community, if I have brought you together today, despite the grief that has overwhelmed my family, it's to talk to you about the management we're going to have to establish if we want this camp to become the new home for all of us. I therefore propose that you choose from among two volunteers the person who will be judged the most suitable to lead our community. If you agree, raise your hand."
The members were all in agreement with this proposal, as a chain of command had to be set up quickly or the camp would quickly descend into anarchy and chaos. The volunteers who came forward were Leon, a neighbor with a reputation for opportunism and selfishness, and Joseph, who simply wanted to make the community a haven of peace for everyone. Unsurprisingly, it was Joseph who was elected mayor of the camp. He then baptised the settlement with the Greek word "Philopator" in memory of his father.
The newly-elected Mayor chose from among the community members the people who would make up the Council, and who would be entrusted with responsibilities to keep the camp moving in the right direction: Marie was appointed as Head of Education, Clara as Head of Human Resources, Doctor Loring as Head of Medicine, and a neighbor named Samuel as Head of Security.
Like most days, the first day was complicated for everyone, as things started to get organized and people asked a lot of questions, and changes were made quickly. Joseph was exhausted when he returned to the floor where his family now lived. He wasn't expecting a visit that evening. Judith Delorme was sitting on his bed, nervous and sublime at the same time.
The second thing Joseph noticed on the way home was Judith's round belly, which he hadn't seen for months. She felt calmer when she saw him happy to see her again.
"Good evening, Joseph. I'm sorry to hear about your father."
"Good evening, Judith. Thank you so much."
"I needed to see you because I received the results of my DNA test and I'm unable to find out on my own." She said, her voice trembling.
"I'd be honored to accompany you through this process."
Judith took a large envelope out of her coat and opened it with a tool that Joseph passed to her. On this large sheet, there was a lot of explanation of the method used, with many scientific and technical terms. It also listed the percentage of DNA types found in Judith, including a specific DNA carrying a recessive gene she'd inherited from her biological father. To his awe, Joseph recognized the genetic marker, having seen it in his numerous medical reports, but also in his father's most recent one.
"Is this the real report? This isn't a joke, is it? Asked Joseph, confused.
"What's the matter with you all of a sudden?! Have you understood something I haven't?" Asked Judith in her turn.
"I'll explain it to you, but believe me, it'll come as a shock. The genetic marker carrying the recessive gene from your biological father, I have it too. My father wasn't always with my family during my childhood. He had an affair with a woman who would look like your mother today. My father is none other than your biological father!"
As confused as Joseph at first, Judith began to doubt Joseph's mental state. But in her mind, the pieces fit together and she needed to understand:
"You're telling me that my father, who abandoned me as a child, is none other than your own father."
"I'm sorry, but yes, it's true..."
"And now, he's dead and he's never come to see me in all that time." Judith let out, crying her eyes out.
"I'm sorry you suffered because of my father, Judith. If you want to be a part of my life and that of my family, I'll do everything I can to help you and your mom."
Judith, somehow managing to calm down, thanked him for his kindness and understanding, despite the shocking news. She also told him she'd have to talk things over with her mother and see what happened next.
"It feels pretty weird. I've more or less realized my dream: I got pregnant by my half-brother." she said with a nervous chuckle.
"At least, we got to meet and spend some time together before we knew it."
Judith left with two pieces of information: the loss of the opportunity to meet her biological father and the opportunity to live with her half-brother, with whom she lost her virginity and is expecting a child. Joseph brings his mother and sister together to pass on the latest discoveries.